The objectives of our Program Project are to expand our studies of aging. To provide a coherent framework for these studies, the program has been restricted to connective tissue, the brain and the auditory system. There are eight individual projects under four project directors. The departments participating are Biochemistry, Anatomy and Psychology. Our interdisciplinary studies will use techniques as diverse as electron microscopy, studies of circular dichroism and operant conditioning. We hope to learn essential information about the aging brain and the relationship of biochemical, morphological and behavioral change during age. A variety of tissues will be used throughout the course of our investigations. These include fibroblasts, smooth muscle and neuronal elements in culture; and in the central nervous system, the neocortex and the olfactory bulbs.